AP: CBI arrests two for accepting bribe in BIS approval scam

Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two individuals, including a senior official of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and a representative from a private company, for accepting a bribe of Rs 70,000 in exchange for approving the manufacturing of gas cylinders.

The arrests took place in Hyderabad following a successful sting operation.

The arrested individuals include the Scientific Officer-D/Joint Director from the BIS branch office in Vijayawada, Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, and a representative from a private company registered in Bengaluru.

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The private company was seeking BIS approval for 12,500 cylinders that it was manufacturing. The bribe was allegedly offered to the BIS official to expedite the approval process and grant an undue advantage to the company.

The CBI on Sunday registered a case against the three accused: the BIS officer, the representative of the private company, and the quality in-charge of the same company, along with other unknown public servants and private individuals involved in the corruption. The accused had allegedly been demanding a bribe from the company in exchange for facilitating the approval process, resulting in the CBI laying a trap.

The accused were arrested during the bribery exchange in Hyderabad, where the CBI recovered the Rs 70,000 bribe amount from the BIS official. Both accused have been taken into custody and are scheduled to be presented before the Special Court of CBI cases in Vijayawada on Monday.

Following the arrests, CBI conducted searches at the residential and official premises of the accused BIS officer in both Hyderabad and Vijayawada, leading to the recovery of incriminating documents.

Sources said the material seized from the premises would be quite crucial in establishing the crime.

The investigation is ongoing, and the CBI has pledged to pursue the case to uncover the full extent of the corruption.

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